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Mobile visual representations of Agile Software development concepts-Why just text?Why not pictures?

 
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I am a Software professional(completed Engineering) and also I have recently completed my MBA in Systems and IT.

I watched the video on "TheDeal-AgileInAFlash".
I am sure that these mobile cards which are visual representations of Agile Software development concepts will be the ultimate tool that software professionals need.
But why just texts?Will the impact be not more, if there were pictures were added next to the concepts?After all, one of the purposes of the cards it to serve as reminders too.(E.g.,What more would remind us of danger than a Skull picture?).Or,have they not been added because there could be limitations in placing appropriate picture for each concept?

While there are many who are posting valuable questions on Agile,,this might be a silly question.But I am more of a pictorial person that a text person.I realize that the pictures are the reasons that more concepts are sticking to my head , as I read and try to recollect concepts from Head First Java. I am not trying to compare your book with K&B's. I just quoted it to serve as an example.

Thanks,
Regards,
Meena
 
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I think it was the daunting task of finding illustrations for all of the things we wanted to say, the fear of miscommunicating in pictures as the work is sold in different cultures, and frankly my lack of imagination. We spent quite a bit of time trying to come up with the four images for idea (lightbulb), plan (compass rose), team (pennant), and coding practices (red/green/refactor "wheel of life").

It might also have had something to do with costs, since we would have had to split our meager $15.00/deck price with a variety of illustrators. We tried very hard to keep the price down in an "impulse purchase" range so that any developer could have a deck, and any company could afford them for the whole team.

It just so happens you are not the first to suggest this. We have a colleague who is interested in doing illustrations for us if we ever publish "Agile In A Flash: The Visual Deck", but no plans currently exist for such a thing.

Tim Ottinger
 
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Nice of you to share the reasons for this, Tim.
Thanks for your reply.

Regards,
Meena
 
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Greetings Meena,

We are indeed a little shy on pictures. We do include the red-green-refactor image for TDD, but beyond that and the four icons, that's about it.

The backs of the cards are full of as much meat as we could fit on a card in text--it's a place for "best practices" and "lessons learned" kinds of things, things that pictures wouldn't capture as easily. The fronts certainly could be adorned with images, although I'm a fan of pictorial association only if it's obvious (and not just an attempt to put a picture on every card).

We're also more list-y people, and we found that a lot of the existing culture and knowledge could be easily captured in the form of lists. But I do like the idea of revisiting the project (if sales take off) and adding some more imagery.

Regards,
Jeff
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